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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24303019">Storge</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/YozoraWitch/pseuds/YozoraWitch'>YozoraWitch</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Domestic Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:35:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,777</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24303019</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/YozoraWitch/pseuds/YozoraWitch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A short story in which Julius Novachrono adopts William Vangeance when he gets dropped at his doorstep at two months old.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Julius Novachrono &amp; William Vangeance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>89</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Baby with the Scar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Storge or familial love refers to natural or instinctual affection, such as the love of a parent towards offspring and vice versa.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Julius was tired. After a long day of completing duties, getting yelled at by Marx for skipping out on some documents, and listening to the king’s temper tantrum, he was done for the day. He retreated to a private cottage he had in the Forsaken Realm without telling Marx. He would kill him for this later but Julius just wanted some time to himself. </p><p>It was a chilly night and Julius had the fire going as he sat on his recliner and wrote down in his journal the cool magic he saw earlier in the day. Just as he was about to finish, he heard what sounded like a baby crying. </p><p>Now, he has heard rumors that this is how the lure young women out of their homes to kidnap them. But he was no young woman so whoever was planning to kidnap him was going to have the surprise of their life when they saw the new Wizard King step out of the cottage. Julius set his journal on the coffee table and walked towards the door, taking a moment to read the area only to find out the only mana signature was that of the babe that was placed in front of the door. </p><p>Feeling safe, Julius opened the door and saw a cardboard box set in the middle of his step. The cries of the baby came from the cardboard box! Julius flipped the flaps open in haste, seeing the baby wrapped in blankets cry, tears streaming down their little face. The first thing Julius noted was the scar that covered half of the babe’s face. He was shocked at this because it looked like a curse mark and if it was, why curse a baby? He would be shocked by the baby’s shockingly white hair but the scar really took his attention away. </p><p>The cold wind that can cut through skin hit Julius’ face, causing him to shiver. No doubt the baby in front of him was cold as well. He grabbed the box with care and brought the baby inside, setting the box on his bed. </p><p>The inside of the cardboard box was plain. It didn’t even have a cushion of some sort to lay the baby on. Julius pitied the baby and wondered why the baby’s parents abandoned him. But he guessed it had something to do with the scar. The baby continued to cry, their little hands reaching out to Julius as if begging to be held. Julius hesitantly reached out to the baby, gasping lightly when he felt their cold hands. He looked around the open room for a blanket, remembering the location of one on the couch. Julius went to quickly grab it and did his best to wrap the baby around the blanket, making sure to tuck their arms in. Then he carefully picked the baby up, aware that he would have to hold onto his head since the baby looked so young. </p><p>Julius settled the baby into his arms and hoped some of his body heat would warm up the baby. The baby still cried and Julius was desperate to stop the baby from crying. He began to rock the baby, easing their woes. His gaze went to the box briefly where he saw a folded note. Curious about it, he reached for it and opened it with one hand. To his surprise, there was neat handwriting on it with information on the baby. </p><p>
  <em> His name is William Vangeance. He was born on December 24th and he’s only two months old. He was born with that cursed scar and he has World Tree Magic. Please take care of him. I’m afraid under my care, he would have died.  </em>
</p><p>The note went into more detail about the baby about how he was the illegitimate son of a noble. No doubt that it was the mother that left him on the steps. Julius looked down at the baby boy. He was still crying. </p><p>“So your name is William Vangeance and you are only two months old? My, you’re very young and you have already lived a hard life,” Julius said. He tried to sound like he normally did when he talked to his Knights but he couldn’t help but let slip a bit of baby talk as he talked to William. Julius walked over to where the fireplace was in hopes that it would warm William up. </p><p>William’s cries were soothed after a minute of being in Julius’s arms. Julius was cautious to wipe the baby’s cheeks away, wondering if he should have washed his hands before he did that. William began to move a little bit, almost as if he was getting comfortable in his arms before he opened his eyes. </p><p>Julius almost wanted to gasp when he saw just how bright his eyes were. They were purple like his but William’s purple was more vibrant than his. And William had eyelashes. Yes, Julius did too but William’s eyelashes were plentiful and long. And while William a head full of white hair, his hairline made an M shape and he had no eyebrows. Julius wondered if he’d grow more hair or what. </p><p>“You’re probably wondering who I am,” Julius began to talk to him. He couldn’t help it. William just stared at him almost as if he was asking himself who Julius was. “I’m Julius Novachrono. The new Wizard King. It seems like your mother was desperate to keep you safe…” </p><p>It occurred to Julius that although the note asked him to take care of William, he had no idea how to do that. Hell, he could barely take care of himself. What do babies eat? He knew most breastfed them and well, he had no breast to feed the little one. His nipples were utterly useless. And what about a place to sleep? Where do babies sleep? What about going to the bathroom? William was still too young to potty train, right? What do babies <em> do </em>!? </p><p>Julius knew it wasn’t mama William’s intention to send her son to death, but that’s exactly what she did when she left him in his care. </p><p>
  <em> I could call Marx and ask him what to do…  </em>
</p><p>As much as Julius didn’t want to hear him blast his ear off, he knew he had to call. This was out of his hands. Julius tried to remember where he put his communicator but then he remembered it was in his pocket. On the side where he was holding William. At first, Julius tried to switch William to his other arm but he was scared to hurt him so he decided not to do that. Instead, Julius twisted his torso around and with his free hand, he reached for the pocket and fished out the communicator. When he turned back straight, he looked down at William to see that he had his fingers in his mouth, eyes closed.</p><p>“Now how did you do that? I swear I put your hands inside the blanket,” Julius told him. He set down the communicator on the table and pulled William’s hand out of his mouth but that only caused him to cry. “Ah! Okay, okay, you want your hand in there,” Julius said as he returned William’s hand to his toothless mouth. </p><p>Julius called Marx and patiently waited for the small man to answer. </p><p>“Julius you’re in trouble!” Marx exclaimed. </p><p>On second thought, he should have just called Owen. </p><p>“Hiya, Marx! How has it been,” Julius sheepishly smiled, wondering if Marx noticed the baby he was holding. </p><p>“How’s it been? How’s it <em> been </em>!? Where are you Lord Julius,” Marx exclaimed. </p><p>There was a movement from William and it caused Julius to look down to see he was upset. “Ah, Marx… can we talk quietly,” Julius asked. “I need your help.” </p><p>“Oh? With what,” Marx asked though he was still irritated. </p><p>“You haven’t noticed the bundle of joy I have in my arms,” Julius asked. He was careful to lift William up in Marx’s view but when he did, he saw the color in Marx’s face disappear. His eyes widened at the sight of baby William. </p><p>“Y-you have a love child,” Marx choked out. </p><p>Julius couldn’t help but laugh. He brought William close to his chest. “No. This little one was dropped on my doorstep,” Julius said. “His mother abandoned him…” he said a little too quietly that he wondered if Marx heard it. </p><p>“Oh… do you need me to put the baby in an orphanage,” Marx asked. </p><p>Julius wanted to say yes. He was unfit to be William’s parent and provide the love and care needed to raise him. However, part of him told him that there was no way that William would receive the love and care needed to raise a child at an orphanage. Let alone with his cursed mark that covered half of his face. Julius was torn. </p><p>“I… need some advice on how to take care of a baby,” Julius said. “You see, I don’t have the slightest idea what babies do,” he chuckled nervously. </p><p>Marx looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. The small man took a deep breath before he replied to Julius. </p><p>“That is something Owen can answer,” Marx said. “So… are you going to keep the baby? You’re a busy man, you know, and you can barely take care of yourself or these documents.” </p><p>“I’ll work something out,” Julius said. </p><p>Marx sighed, knowing there was no changing his mind. “Give me a moment to contact Owen,” Marx said as he readied the communication spell and got ahold of Owen. When he did, he connected the lines together. </p><p>“Ah, Julius, what can I do for you,” Owen asked. </p><p>“Give me some tips on how to take care of a baby,” Julius said, motioning William up. </p><p>Owen fell from his seat from pure shock. Julius couldn’t help but sheepishly laugh again at the commotion, especially when Marx gave Owen the rundown of what he had told him earlier. Owen nodded his head, thinking deeply of Julius’s decision to keep William. </p><p>“How old is the baby,” Owen asked. </p><p>“William is two months old,” Julius stated proudly. </p><p>“William? So he has a name,” Owen murmured. “Two months is considered a newborn as well.” Owen paused as he did something off-camera. “I would like to check how he is. Just to make sure the newborn doesn’t need anything,” he began to say as he looked at something. “Marx, how’s his schedule for tomorrow?” </p><p>“Well if Lord Julius doesn’t play hooky, he has a free period after lunch,” Marx said. “12:30-1:30.” </p><p>“If it’s alright with your Julius, I’ll need you to stop by my office to check up on the lad,” Owen said. “At 12:30.” Owen looked back at the camera, his gaze traveling the bundle of blankets that were wrapped around William. “You’re going to need to do some shopping,” he said. </p><p>“Hmm?” Julius asked, tilting his head to the side in question. </p><p>“You need to buy diapers, wipes, baby washtub, shampoo, baby formula, clothing for the child, toys, a crib, blankets, stuffed animals, and anything you think may benefit in raising William,” Owen said. “Ointments too. Babies tend to get diaper rashes at this age.” </p><p>Julius did not think far into his decision to keep William but he felt like he was now responsible for him. He looked down at William who was fast asleep. </p><p>“And he probably needs them now too, huh,” Marx said. “Where are you, Lord Julius? In your private cottage?” </p><p>“Yes.” </p><p>“Pack your bags. I’m sending Cob over so you can portal back to the capital. In the meantime, I’ll go buy the necessities for tonight,” Marx said. </p><p>He didn’t realize it, but Julius was glad to have trusted friends that had his back. No matter how radical or odd his decisions were. </p><p>----------------------</p><p>Cob had transported Julius to his room back in the castle. So here he was, sitting on his bed looking at William who was asleep. His head turned to one side and both of his hands were sprawled out to the side. Julius couldn’t help but adore him. There were so many rolls on his smooth arms that Julius had an urge to pinch them. </p><p>Julius sighed and laid down on the bed. <em> What an eventful day, </em>Julius thought to himself. He looked over at William again and couldn’t help but smile brightly at him. William had chubby cheeks that were a bit rosy and his eyelashes were noticeable through his scar. Julius tentatively reached out and with his index and middle finger, he gentle traces over William’s scar. He could feel the texture of his pocked skin. It was a different feeling than if he touched his lower cheeks. Julius couldn’t help but frown. He couldn’t understand why anyone would curse a child like this. </p><p>Julius quickly removed his hand when William began to move, whining a bit before sighing and going still. Julius held his breath and looked at William’s round stomach when he couldn’t hear him breathe but then suddenly, William took a deep breath and exhaled, continuing his regular breathing patterns. “Phew,” Julius said, putting his hand over his heart. For a moment he thought William had stopped breathing. </p><p>Julius closed his eyes, feeling a bit tired. He never realized he fell asleep with William on the bed until he heard a knock on the door. He was startled awake whereas William was still asleep. He rubbed his eyes and crawled out of bed to open the door. There, he saw Marx along with two Castle Knights who were carrying what seemed like a crib. Marx was carrying a lot of bags and he quickly handed them to Julius. </p><p>“I bought baby formula, bottles, a book on how to take care of a baby, diapers, wipes, bedding for the crib, a stuffed animal, a nightlight, and some pj’s for the poor kid,” Marx said in one breath.</p><p>“Thank you,” Julius said. </p><p>Julius moved aside to let the two Castle Knights carry the crib into his room. They set it down against the wall closest to his bed and put the bedding before saluting to Julius and leaving the room. Marx set the nightlight near the crib and put the stuffed animal on the desk so Julius could give it to William later. He took off the tags on the pajamas and handed them over to Julius. </p><p>“They should fit them. Baby sizes go by their age oddly enough,” Marx said. </p><p>Julius took it from Marx and unfolded it so he could take a look. They were plain. Nothing special. Julius was sure that Marx grabbed it because it was the cheapest, probably doubting Julius was going to keep the baby. Julius eyed the size and looked over at William. </p><p>“I have a feeling it’s a bit big for him,” Julius commented. “He may have rolls but William is a tiny fella.” </p><p>“He’ll grow into it,” Marx said. “I blocked out two hours in the afternoon in case you need to buy more things for the baby. Speaking of which, is that him on the bed?” </p><p>“Yes! He’s fast asleep,” Julius said. </p><p>Though Marx was a bit hesitant on Julius’s decision to adopt the baby, he was curious to see who the baby was. He walked up to William and looked down at him. He gasped and looked up at Julius with concern. “We must get Owen here!” Marx exclaimed. </p><p>“Easy there, Marx. The letter said William was born with it. It’s a curse mark,” he informed him. </p><p>“A curse mark? Why would someone curse a baby,” Marx asked. He couldn’t help but feel pity for him. </p><p>“I’m not sure,” Julius said. “I suspect it has to do with the fact that he’s an illegitimate child of a nobleman.” </p><p>“And you’re going to keep him,” Marx questioned. </p><p>“I fear if I put him in an orphanage, he might be treated badly,” Julius said. He set the pajamas down and carefully pulled William to his side, taking off the blanket over him to reveal a white short-sleeved onesie that was thin. No wonder he cried when he was left outside. Julius inspected the outfit and tried to find a way to take it off. </p><p>“There are buttons in between his legs,” Marx pointed it out. “Easy access when you need to change diapers.” </p><p>“Thank you, Marx,” Julius smiled, lifting William’s legs to unbutton his onesie. He should have guessed it. After all William’s new set of pajamas had the buttons there as well. It wasn’t until then that he caught a whiff of a bad smell that almost made his eyes tear up. He coughed and looked up to prevent his tears from falling. </p><p>Marx raised an eyebrow, seeing how red Julius had turned. “Is everything alright,” Marx asked. </p><p>“I just got hit with a horrible smell,” Julius said. “I-is it coming from William!?”</p><p>Marx walked over and caught a whiff of the smell too. He backed away and pinched his nose so he wouldn’t smell. “He needs to be changed,” Marx said. </p><p>“I am changing him,” Julius exclaimed. </p><p>“Diapers! He needs to be changed from his diapers sir!” Marx exclaimed. “Babies aren’t potty trained!” </p><p>“Oh!” Julius exclaimed. He looked down at William’s diaper as he woke up. William moved his chubby legs, kicking Julius with a force he never knew babies had. Julius wheezed, the breath taken out of him when William kicked his stomach. It was at this moment that Julius reflected on his karma. </p><p>Marx ripped open the box of diapers and grabbed the wipes, placing them on the bed next to William so Julius could change him. He backed away, avoiding the horrendous smell that came from such a tiny creature. “Change him,” Marx exclaimed. </p><p>“Give me a moment! I’m new at this,” Julius said. He turned his attention to William and began to analyze the diaper. He found pull up sticky tabs that looked like they kept the diaper in place. He pulled on them, seeing the diaper come undone but a strong unpleasant smell hit his face again. Julius’s eyes began to tear up at the smell and the view wasn’t great either. William began to cry and Julius and Marx began to panic. </p><p>“Sir, just change him quickly,” Marx cried out. </p><p>“But he’s crying, Marx!” Julius exclaimed. </p><p>“Probably because he knows under your care he will die,” Marx said. “Open the wipes, sir, and clean him for mana’s sake!” </p><p>Julius pulled the soiled diaper from William and cleaned him up with haste, using four wipes to do so. Then he grabbed the new one, tears still formed in his eyes but at least the smell was now gone. He looked at it and looked at William who had turned red from crying. </p><p>“M-Marx how do I open this,” Julius asked. </p><p>“Sir, I don’t know,” he said. “I wish we had Owen here…” </p><p>Julius felt his heart ache at hearing William cry but the anxiety was building up inside of him and he tried to figure out the diaper. He swore the longer he took, the louder William’s cries were. “Aha!” Julius found out. He opened it but realized something: he didn’t know which was the front and which is the back. “Uhhh, Marx… which part is the front,” Julius sheepishly asked. </p><p>Marx was going to pray for that kid’s safety tonight.</p><p>------------------</p><p>Julius had a dream that he was given a baby. The baby had a scar that covered half of his face with shockingly white hair. He thought it was a dream. Julius was startled awake to the sound of William’s cries. His room was still dark with the exception of the nightlight that illuminated softly where William’s crib was. Julius couldn’t help but wonder how long he had been sleeping for. Surely it must be awhile but his eyes burned as if he barely slept at all. Julius rubbed the sleep away from his eyes, seeing the book he was reading (the one Marx bought him to increase William's survivability) sprawled on his bed.</p><p>He could see William's tiny hands reach out up to the sky through the slats of the crib. Julius hurried over and peered down to see William's red and wet face. He carefully picked William up and rocked him but that didn't help. </p><p>"Shhh, I'm here, William," Julius cooed at him but no matter how much he tried to comfort him, William continued to cry. William's hands would reach out and Julius thought this meant that he wanted to be held but he learned that wasn't the case. "It's okay, William," he said. </p><p>Julius put his hand in William's grasp but William grabbed his index finger and put it in his mouth, sucking on it. That's when it occurred to Julius that William was probably hungry! </p><p>With haste, Julius looked around the room for the bottles and the formula, remembering the passage from the book. He took his finger from William's grasp, causing him to cry and set him back down on the crib. As soon as he found the baby bottles, he ripped the package open and washed them before making the formula, heating it up and checking the temperature before heading over to William to pick him up and feed him. William gave a little whine before going silent. The only sound he made was the little sounds of his breath after a moment of sucking and swallowing. </p><p>Julius sighed and went to go sit on his bed. That was some stress. He wasn't too fond of the crying but he always got a little nervous when William would turn red the longer he cried. Julius looked down at William and gave a warm smile as he stared at him. William's cheeks were so cute he just wanted to pinch them. He raised William up a bit so that when he leaned down, he could easily press a kiss on his forehead. It was the first kiss Julius gave to William, his new son. </p><p>Oh he felt giggly when he thought of that. William was his son now. He may not be of flesh and blood, but he was his. If someone had told him last week that he would become a father, Julius would have laughed. </p><p>Formula was spilling on the corner of William's mouth, indicating that he was done eating. Julius took the bottle and set it down on his nightstand. He looked for a washcloth to wipe away the milk that dribbled down William's cheeks. In hindsight, Julius should have tucked a washcloth underneath William's chin before feeding him. Julius made a mental note for the next time he fed him as he wiped away the residue from William's cheeks and neck. </p><p><em> There's something else that I need to do after I feed him… what was it again? </em>Julius tried hard to remember. He felt like it was important. He searched for the book again and flipped its pages until he found the passage on feeding a baby. Julius skimmed through it, mentally check-marking what he had done, only to stumble over the fact that he did not 'burp' William, which was the topic of the next passage. </p><p>Julius carefully read what the book said, mimicking the graph as he carefully positioned William up against his chest. He began to lightly hit William's back until he heard the loudest burp he had ever heard. Julius was surprised by the mighty force William used to burp that it made him chuckle. </p><p>"You're such a small thing, but your burp is the mightiest of them all," Julius laughed. He waited a couple of more minutes after the big burp to see if he would burp more. When nothing came out, Julius set William down on the crib, seeing he was already fast asleep and crawled back into bed. </p><p>Little did he know that William would demand to be fed every 2-3 hours. </p><p>--------------</p><p>Julius yawned as he fed William his breakfast. He hadn't even had time to change into his clothes when he heard someone knock on his door. He didn't need to read the person's mana to know who it was.</p><p>"Come in, Marx," Julius called out. </p><p>Marx came in and Julius couldn't help but wonder what time Marx slept to look so fresh this early in the morning. He could see the face of bewilderment when he saw him. "G-good morning, sir," Marx greeted. "Did you sleep at all last night?" </p><p>"I tried to but William kept crying to be fed and I had to change his diaper again," Julius answered. </p><p>"I see. Babies wake up a lot throughout the night when they are this young," Marx said. "Well at least we'll take the kid to Owen so he can see him. Maybe he'll give you pointers on some things. In the meantime, you have work to do. I'll give you some time to get ready." </p><p>"Yes, Marx," Julius whined as Marx walked out of his room. He yawned again and did the same routine when William was done feeding. He gave a loud burp again which always surprised Julius. Where did William keep all that gas in such a tiny body? Julius marveled at what a tiny body is capable of. </p><p>He set William down on his bed, putting pillows around him so he could change into his outfit without worry that William could fall off. William simply stared up at the ceiling, kicking his legs slightly. Julius was quick to change and get ready, worried that being separated from William any longer could mean that William could get hurt. Not even on the days he overslept was he this quick. </p><p>Putting on his Wizard King robe, Julius grabbed the plain white onesie that William was wearing yesterday. He looked at it and saw it was too thin and in poor condition for his liking. He turned to look back at William, who was still kicking and moving his arms about. <em> I need to buy clothes for the little man, </em>Julius thought as he walked over to William. He undid William's pajamas which brought goosebumps to his smooth skin and for William to cry. </p><p>Julius couldn't help but wince a little but he was quick to undress William, leaving him in his diapers. <em> Oh, I should probably change him!  </em></p><p>If it's one thing that Julius dreaded other than doing paperwork, it was changing diapers. Groaning a bit, he went to get the wipes and a fresh diaper, mentally preparing himself for the disaster the lies ahead. He did the same routine as before only this time, he thought he was getting the hang of changing William's diapers. </p><p>"I know, I know. It's unpleasant to be naked," Julius said to William who was still crying. "If you cooperate, this will be over soon." Julius held his breath seeing if William would stop crying once he secured the new diaper in place, but he didn't. He sighed and grabbed the outfit for William and began to put it on. It was difficult as Julius didn't want to harm William as he pulled the onesie over his head. </p><p>But that was the easy part. The hardest part was getting William's arms through the short sleeves. Julius began to sweat. William was still crying, tears streaming down his eyes. Julius took a deep breath and gently grabbed William's left hand and did his best to put it through the sleeve. It was a struggle. William wouldn't stay still and he was surprisingly strong as he jerked his hand to free himself from Julius's grip. </p><p>After a bit of a power struggle, Julius was able to get William's arm through the sleeve and braced himself to do the same with the other arm. Once through, Julius pulled down one the onesie and began to button it up. William's cries slowly died down now that he was clothed. Julius leaned down a bit and dried off the stray tears from his cheeks. </p><p>"There. No more torture," Julius smiled down at William. William blinked, giving a shaky sigh as he finally calmed down. Julius wrapped William around in a blanket and picked him up, setting him in his arms. "Alright William, we're ready for the day," Julius expressed. William gave a small grunt and Julius smiled even wider at him. "Let's go meet up with our tiny ball of anxiety," he laughed. </p><p>Julius, carrying William in his arms, left his room and headed to his office. He hummed happily for William who was wide awake. Every couple of seconds, William would hum with him. "You're a talkative one, aren't you," Julius said. As if he were talking back to him, William hummed back happily. </p><p>He walked out of his residential building and headed to the Magic Knight headquarters where his office was located. He passed a couple of Castle Knights who gave him a questioning look when they saw William in his arms but Julius didn’t think much of it. He couldn’t. He was too happy to notice. </p><p>When he got to his office, Marx was standing to the side, looking through some paperwork in his arms. Marx looked up and eyed William. “Do you want me to find a sitter,” Marx asked once he realized there was no one to take care of the baby if Julius left William in his room. </p><p>“There’s no need,” Julius smiled. “I kind of want to keep him close to me.” </p><p><em> He would very much survive for a long time if he had a sitter, </em>Marx thought to himself. He sighed and looked around the cramped office that had a multitude of bookshelves and a couple of chairs. “Well if you want to keep him in here with you, we should probably get a crib in here,” Marx began to say. “But are you sure you want him in here? Won’t he distract you?” </p><p>“Well if William cries I’m going to have to attend to his needs,” Julius answered. </p><p><em> So yes, </em> Marx groaned to himself. <em> If finding cool magic is the leading cause of his absence, a baby will surely divert his attention away from his paperwork. </em>“I’ll have one of the Knights fetch for another crib,” Marx said. “Speaking of the baby, he has an appointment at 12:30 with Owen, remember?” </p><p>“Of course, how can I forget,” Julius said, proud for once recalling an important appointment in his schedule. William grunted, almost as if he was agreeing with himself. Julius couldn’t help but smile wider at him. “Even William remembers,” he gleamed. </p><p>“Well hold onto him while I go give a Knight the order,” Marx said. “You’ll probably need more bottles and formula to keep it in here for him…” Marx hummed to himself as he looked around the room, making a mental list of all the things Julius would need to keep William in here. “Maybe four Knights should get this stuff,” he murmured to himself before turning his attention towards Julius. “If you can, work on reading and signing paperwork I left on your desk,” Marx ordered. “I’ll be back, hopefully before your appointment with Owen.”</p><p>“I’ll get them done,” Julius said. </p><p>“No running off to find cool magic,” Marx warned. He saluted and left the office, on a mission to find four unfortunate souls for some baby shopping. </p><p>Julius looked down at William who was wide awake, staring at the decorated ceiling. His purple eyes were vibrant as if discovering the wonders of ceilings. “I don’t think I’d be able to find cool magic for a while,” Julius said. “At least, not until you’re a bit older. Maybe I can carry you in a baby carrier, then we can leave mean old Marx behind and find cool magic together. What do you say, William?” </p><p>William kicked, humming almost as if he was excited at the promise of adventure. Julius couldn’t help but bring William up a bit so he could kiss his forehead. It caused William to kick and flap his arms around more, his mouth forming an open, wide smile before letting out a little scream. </p><p>“Oh, you like that, huh,” Julius laughed, finding William’s joy contagious. He leaned in again and pressed more kisses against his scar, causing more joy to William who squirmed at the affection, letting out more little screams. </p><p>Oh how his heart swelled just hearing the happy noises William made and when Julius saw his gummy smile, he wanted to melt. Julius was feeling giggly on the inside, like a child who opened his gift on Christmas morning. Though a curse scar covered half of William’s face, Julius found him to be the most adorable baby in Clover Kingdom and possibly throughout the continent. </p><p>Julius, with a couple of giggles escaping his lips, made his way to his chair and sat down. “Let’s see if I can do paperwork, though I never promised Marx I’ll get it done,” Julius snickered as he grabbed the first sheet. When he saw William looking at him, he had to put the paper down just so he could play with him. </p><p>
  <em> Sorry Marx, but it’s not getting done.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. William's First Shots</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>William gets his first set of shots and Julius becomes a concerned dad.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A warning that the degrees are in Fahrenheit lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I don’t know why I expected you to get the stack done,” Marx sighed as they walked through the corridors of the hospital. “My expectations were too high.” </p><p>“You can’t blame me, Marx! William is too cute,” Julius exclaimed. </p><p>Julius had spent almost the whole morning playing and adoring William. So he didn’t do <em> all </em> of the paperwork that needed to be done, but he got <em> some </em> of it done. Which is better than nothing in his opinion.</p><p>“Well now that I got you a crib in the office, you better complete the paperwork that needs to be done by <em> today, </em>” Marx huffed out. When he saw the door to Owen’s office, he opened it for Julius and let him in first. </p><p>Owen looked up from his clipboard as he stood over his desk. When he saw them, he quickly looked over at the clock with a surprised expression on his face. “For once, the time mage is on time,” Owen joked. </p><p>“He was surprisingly urgent to get here on time,” Marx teased with him. </p><p>“Oh come on, I’m on time to some things,” Julius defended his pride. </p><p>Both Marx and Owen raised an eyebrow at him, almost waiting for Julius to mention a time in which he was on time to something. Defeated, Julius pouted but nonetheless, he motioned over to William who was fast asleep in his arms. “This is William Vangeance. He’s two months old, according to the note,” he said. </p><p>Owen walked up to Julius and looked down at the sleeping William. “Oh… his scar is bigger than I imagined,” Owen said. “And the way you’re holding him… at least you’re supporting his head.” </p><p>Julius was alarmed by Owen’s comment. “Have I been holding him wrong,” Julius asked. </p><p>“Not completely, but you got the important part down and that’s to support his head. If he’s two months old, then he still has a minimum of two months to be able to hold his head up on his own,” Owen said. “At around four months, babies usually can hold their heads up when they sit upright but they don’t develop those neck muscles and head control fully until they are six months.” </p><p>Julius absorbed everything Owen said like a sponge. He was amazed that babies weren’t born with the ability to hold their heads up and won’t until they are at least six months. They really were entirely dependent on their parents. </p><p>Owen slid his arms underneath Julius’s so Julius could transfer William over to him. Owen rocked William in his arms for a bit, humming. “Hmm, he’s pretty light,” Owen said. “He must have not gotten the nutrients he needs. Explains why he’s so small. Probably mom was too poor to feed him once born and probably couldn’t feed much herself when she was pregnant with him.” </p><p>Owen walked over to the table and laid William on a scale. He noted his weight and then used his Water Magic on him. “I’m going to see if I can heal that scar,” Owen said. </p><p>Julius stood across the room. He could feel his stomach twist in worry as Owen’s magic hovered over William’s tiny body. He couldn’t help but clench his fists together in worry but he knew William was safe in Owen’s hands. </p><p>The Medusas that was Owen’s Water Magic soon disappeared. Julius took a step forward when Owen didn’t say anything for a while. “Did it work,” Julius asked. </p><p>Owen motioned Julius to come over, which he happily did. When his gaze landed on William’s face, he was a bit disappointed to see the scar still there. He looked up to Owen, seeing a deep concern in his face. </p><p>“This must be an ancient curse,” Owen murmured but it was loud enough for Julius to hear. “I’m sorry, but it seems I can’t heal the scar that covers half of his face.” Owen sighed deeply, almost as if he was disappointed in himself. “I’ll complete the rest of his check-up.” </p><p>Julius nodded his head. He wasn’t going to lie, he hoped Owen was able to heal William’s scar. Though Julius wasn’t going to judge William or treat him harshly because of the curse scar on his face, he knew William would face prejudice and judgment from others. He knew just how nasty people could be, especially the nobility. </p><p>Owen began to take off William’s clothes, which startled William awake when the cold air hit his skin, causing him to cry. There was a moment in which Owen paused all movement and it caused Julius to worry for a moment. Owen turned around and eyed Julius, holding back a smile. “His diaper is on backward,” Owen announced, holding back a laugh. </p><p>Now, Julius wasn’t one to get flustered easily, but the fact that Owen called out on his inability to tell if the diaper was on right or not really made him feel embarrassed. Julius gave a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of his neck. “Ah, I did that on purpose,” Julius said, trying to cover his mistake. </p><p>Owen raised an eyebrow in question, unimpressed by Julius’s sad attempt in covering up his mistake. He turned his attention back to William, reaching up in the cabinets to grab another diaper. He motioned Julius to come over again. “I’ll teach you how to change his diaper properly. It also serves to teach you how to prevent diaper rashes,” Owen said. </p><p>Marx took the liberty to take notes for Julius, just in case he forgot how to change William’s diaper. For William’s safety, he was going to make Julius memorize the steps to changing his diaper. He also made a note to himself to enroll Julius in some parenting classes. Just to increase William’s survivability. That kid was in Marx's prayers.</p><p>After a quick lesson in changing diapers, Owen did the rest of his check-up. Somehow, Owen was able to calm William down by distracting him with things or tickling him in some places like his tummy, which caused William to giggle and give his tiny but mighty scream. Seeing William smile like that, his little eyes crinkling at the corners, made Julius’s heart melt and he couldn’t help but adore him even more. </p><p>“He’s due for a shot,” Owen said, bringing Julius out of his thoughts. “Do you want me to give it now? You’ll just have to hold him.” </p><p>“Sure. We’re already here,” Julius said. </p><p>Owen grabbed William and put him in Julius’s arms. He pointed to a seat that was pushed against the wall. “Sit over there and rest William against you, sitting up. I’m putting his shots on his thighs,” Owen said. “Give me a moment to prepare.” </p><p>William was still in his diapers. Julius rubbed his hand over William’s chilled arm so he could give him some warmth. “I know you don’t like to be naked,” Julius said to William who looked at him like he was about to cry. “I know, I know. You get cold, don’t you? It’s okay, Owen will give you your shots and then we’ll put your clothes back on.” William hummed in response and Julius smiled, placing a kiss on his scarred forehead. William began to kick his legs again, flapping his little arms, mouth opening to a wide smile. For a moment nothing came out and then suddenly he screamed in joy. Julius laughed and gave him another forehead kiss, causing William to squirm and scream in joy again. </p><p>Marx and Owen looked at each other for a moment and back at Julius, who had his back towards them. </p><p><em> He’s had the kid for less than a day and he already loves him </em>, Owen thought to himself, a smile appearing on his lips as he readied the vaccines and the bandaids. “Alright, get the kid ready,” Owen said. </p><p>Julius frowned when playtime was over. He sat down on the chair, carefully positioning William so that Owen could deliver the shots. Owen grabbed a seat and rolled in front of Julius. He smiled down at William who looked at him in question. </p><p>“Hello, William. Please behave. It’ll be over before you know it,” Owen said. Owen gently but firmly grabbed William’s thighs. William whined, kicking his foot to free Owen’s grasp on him but it was all in vain. Owen cleaned William’s skin with an alcohol wipe before grabbing the needle, taking off the cap, and sending the needle through William’s skin to inject the vaccine. </p><p>William yelled and cried at the pain. His face immediately turned red and big drops of tears fell from his vibrant purple eyes and slid down his face. Julius became distressed at William’s response to the vaccine and Marx had to put his hands over his ears at the sudden volume that came from William. </p><p>Julius wanted to cry. The sound William made broke his heart. No. It <em> shattered </em>his heart into millions of tiny pieces. He wanted Owen to stop but he knew William needed the vaccines. </p><p>Owen took out the needle and set it on the tray, quickly grabbing the green bandaid and cotton ball, putting it over the wound. Owen grabbed another needle and alcohol wipe and Julius swore he never wanted to kill Owen as he did at that moment. He repeated the same actions, William also yelled and cried loudly. </p><p>“There we go! The villain is done torturing you,” Owen said to William, who was still crying. He sneaked a look up to Julius, noting how pale he went and how worried he looked. <em> Yes, he definitely loves this kid already. Maybe it’s best for the little one that Julius raised him </em>, Owen thought to himself. He stood up to dispose of the needles, giving Julius some time with his son. </p><p>Julius rocked William in his arms, careful to avoid touching his shot on his thighs. “It’s okay, William. It’s over now,” Julius cooed. He wiped away the tears that rolled down William’s cheeks. Julius pressed kisses on William’s forehead, hoping that it will calm William down and ease his pain. </p><p>“I’m going to tell you what William might experience up to 48 hours after his shot,” Owen said, bringing Julius’s attention back to him. “Fever is normal, especially on the first day. What’s not normal is a fever over 104 degrees. He will be irritated and sleepy. If he doesn’t wake up for feeding time, then you should be concerned and call me. Redness in the area where I gave his shot is normal too. A lump could form. That will go away in a week or two if it does form, nothing to be concerned about.” </p><p>Marx was quick to write this down for Julius just because he can foresee Julius panicking over William’s fever if he gets one. <em> Which reminds me, I should probably buy a thermometer for him, </em>Marx thought to himself. </p><p>“Remember, if William doesn’t wake up for feeding time, call me right away. If his fever lasts more than 24 hours, call me. If his fever is over 104 degrees, call me,” Owen urged. “Any questions?” </p><p>“No,” Julius answered. By now, William had calmed down for a bit but he was still crying. His tiny hands were close to his mouth and his eyes were closed as he was nuzzled close to Julius.</p><p>Marx looked over at Julius, raising an eyebrow, questioning if he really didn’t have any questions. He was taken aback when he saw just how <em> eager </em> Julius looked. The only time he saw him like this was anything that involved magic and magic relics. </p><p>
  <em> Maybe William will survive with Julius as his caretaker.  </em>
</p><p>-------------</p><p>Julius set a sleeping William down on the crib in his office. William had fallen asleep on the walk back and he remained asleep. Marx briefly looked over the notes he took in the office before handing it to Julius. </p><p>“For you, sir. I wrote down what Owen said just in case you forgot,” Marx said. </p><p>“Thank you, Marx,” Julius smiled. “Your help is much appreciated, as always.” </p><p>Flattery. That was something Julius always did before he asked permission to go find cool magic. If that was the case, Marx was going to pull Julius by the ears and make him sit down and do the paperwork that needs to be done. And here he thought having William in here with him would have tied him down. </p><p>But Julius’s question never came. Instead, he was looking down at William from his seat, almost like he was deep in thought. Marx sighed and looked at the time. “You have a meeting today with the captains at 3,” Marx began to say. “If you want, I can watch over the kid while you go speak to them.” </p><p>Julius looked at Marx and back down at William, almost as if deciding if he wanted to leave William in his care. “If you think you can handle it… but according to the feeding schedule Owen gave us… 3 is his feeding time,” Julius said. </p><p>“I can handle it,” Marx said. “In the meantime, get that paperwork done. He’s asleep so that means you can do it with absolutely no distractions.” <em> And if you go off to find cool magic and leave him behind, Mana help you when I find you.  </em></p><p>“Alright,” Julius agreed with a faint smile on his face. “I’ll get what I can done before the meeting with the captains,” he said. </p><p><em> Well… that was easy, </em>Marx thought to himself “Very well. I’ll be back in a bit,” Marx said. “Just… do your work.” </p><p>“Yes, sir,” Julius teased. </p><p>Marx walked out with plans to buy a thermometer and to enroll Julius in some parenting classes. He hoped when it was his turn to babysit the kid that he stayed asleep. </p><p>--------------</p><p>William had developed a fever and Julius was freaking out. He developed it during the meeting. Julius thought Owen was just exaggerating a bit at the side effects but then William fell asleep and stayed asleep for the longest. He only woke up when he wanted to eat. </p><p>Thankfully, Marx had bought the thermometer when he went out so they were able to confirm it even though they could just feel it when they touched William’s cheeks or his forehead. Julius was pacing around his office as Marx looked at the thermometer, biting his nails down until he didn’t have any more to bite. </p><p>“He’s running a fever at 100.6 degrees,” Marx said. “Owen did say this could happen.” </p><p>“What should we do Marx,” Julius asked. His eyebrows were furrowed together that Marx swore he was going to get wrinkles prematurely. </p><p>“Let his fever run its course,” Marx suggested. “And keep an eye on him as well. There’s not much we can do for William right now. Just let him rest, feed him when it’s time, and change his diaper. In the meantime, do your paperwork. I need to submit the summer festival documents by tomorrow morning.” </p><p>“Alright,” Julius said. Marx noticed his slumped shoulders as he walked to his seat and sat down. He sighed and placed the thermometer away. Julius grabbed the files of paper and began to read through them, looking over at William every couple of minutes. </p><p>“I’ll bring you a slice of chocolate cake,” Marx said, unable to handle Julius’s sad mood. </p><p>For a brief moment, Julius’s smile returned and his face brightened. He really looked older when sad. “Can you bring tea with it,” Julius asked. </p><p>“Yes. Excuse me, I’ll go retrieve those for your while you work,” Marx said. </p><p>Julius happily hummed at the promise of cake and tea while approving documents. Though he felt a bit better about the situation, Julius was still a bit worried about William’s health. Every time he got done reading a paragraph, Julius would check up on William. He would place his hand on his cheeks and forehead. He would check the time to see if it was time to feed William. He would check his diaper to see if it was soil. The only time William woke up was the first time Julius undid his diaper and he cried for a bit, but not as much as he normally did. </p><p>There was a knock on the door, bringing Julius out of his thoughts. “Come in,” Julius called out. The door opened to reveal Kaiser. Julius smiled at the elder man, setting down the documents. He could see Kaiser’s gaze turn to the crib that was next to him, an eyebrow almost arching but it seems like he caught himself. </p><p>Kaiser saluted to Julius when he stood in front of his desk. “Good afternoon, Wizard King,” he greeted. </p><p>“Kaiser! It’s good to see you. I see you’re trying different things with your stache,” Julius said. “I think this style looks marvelous on you.” </p><p>Kaiser could feel a blush coming, but he quickly collected himself and held back his smile. “Thank you for such a lovely compliment, Wizard King,” he said. Kaiser’s gaze shifted back to the crib, wondering why such furniture was in the office of the Wizard King but then he saw a <em> baby </em>inside the crib. Kaiser’s eyes widened at the sight and his manners completely disappeared from the shock. “Wizard King, since when did you have a child?” Kaiser exclaimed. </p><p>Julius couldn’t help but chuckle at Kaiser’s shock. He didn’t take into consideration that the Magic Knights that walked in would be surprised and ask questions. “Ah, since last night,” Julius replied casually. “He’s my adoptive son now!” </p><p>“You adopted a son!?” </p><p>Julius nodded his head, withholding the details for now. “This is William. He’s only two months old and he just got his shots, so he’s sleeping the pain away,” Julius stated proudly. </p><p>He could see Kaiser stand a little bit taller as he tried to get a clearer view of William. His eyes become hard when they landed on William’s face. Just as the look came quickly, it went away when William moved his arms to stretch and then he put them in his mouth, eyes still closed, heavy with sleep. Kaiser’s gaze softened and a faint smile appeared on his face. </p><p>“What a lovely young lad,” Kaiser said. “Very tiny as well. You should have told us you were going to adopt a baby. We could have sent gifts to you.” </p><p>“Ah about that,” Julius began to say, “I didn’t want to say anything until I was certain I would have William,” he lied. </p><p>“I see,” Kaiser hummed. “Well, do not be surprised when you start receiving gifts for William from the Knight squadron pretty soon.” </p><p>“Ah, you don’t need to send gifts,” Julius said, sheepishly laughing. </p><p>The door opened again to reveal Marx with cake and tea in his hands. A look of surprise came across his face when he saw Kaiser there. “Done with your mission, Lord Kaiser,” Marx asked as he walked in. </p><p>“Ah, right. Yes,” Kaiser replied when he remembered the purpose of his trip. Kaiser informed Julius what happened in his mission and handed him the report he completed. All Julius had to do was read through them and sign off on it. With that, Kaiser left, leaving Marx and Julius in the office. </p><p>“Check his temperature again,” Julius almost begged Marx. </p><p>“Sir, it’s only been thirty minutes since I last checked it,” Marx complained. He looked down at William who was still asleep. “I’m sure he’ll pull through and will be fine,” he reassured him. </p><p>“But still! Marx, please check up on him,” he whined.</p><p>“Ugh! Fine,” Marx huffed in defeat. He set the cake and tea on Julius’s desk and went to check William’s temperature. “See, it’s still the same. Nothing has changed. Now quit bothering the poor boy and let him rest.” </p><p>“Aww… I was hoping William’s fever would have gone down by now,” Julius whined. He pouted and slumped back on the chair. </p><p>“Eat your cake and get back to work,” Marx said. “Oh, and don’t forget it’s almost time to feed him- Oh I shouldn’t be reminding you of these things!” </p><p>Julius chuckled and took a bite of his cake. “It’s in your nature to do so,” Julius teased Marx. “It’s the reason why I made you my main assistant.” </p><p>“More like you want to kill me off as soon as possible,” Marx muttered under his breath. </p><p>---------</p><p>William whined when Julius forced him awake. It was feeding time and Julius was determined to keep William awake. William lightly kicked his legs and stretched as if he was confined to a tiny space. Julius had already prepared the formula and was ready to feed William his dinner. </p><p>“Come on, wake up,” Julius said as he lightly poked William’s cheek. </p><p>For the first time since coming back from Owen’s office, William’s eyes opened. He looked up at Julius. He gave a gummy smile at Julius as if it was his first time seeing him. Julius melted instantly and couldn’t help but place a kiss on his forehead. It caused William to flap his arms around again but he didn’t kick his legs like the other times Julius kissed his forehead. </p><p>“Are your legs sore,” Julius cooed. “Owen was a big meanie, wasn’t he? He made you suffer and hurt you.” </p><p>William talked in his own way, almost as if he had much to say about Owen’s treatment. Or at least that’s what Julius imagined. Julius nodded his head, imagining that William was complaining to him about how Owen gave him two painful shots without warning and for making him cry.</p><p>“I agree. Owen should apologize to you,” Julius said after William stopped humming and mumbling. “And he made you have a fever too! Ugh, that Owen!” William almost screamed in agreement. </p><p>Julius checked the temperature of the bottle before feeding William. William’s hands were balled up together and he closed his eyes as he began sucking. </p><p>“Don’t sleep on me,” Julius pouted. He couldn’t help but admire William again. “Stay awake or else I’ll get even more worried. Ah, you’re making me experience what Marx experienced as my advisor, aren’t you, William?”</p><p>William made a tiny sound as he caught his breath in between drinking his formula. Julius took that cute noise as a yes. </p><p>“I know, I know. It’s my karma,” Julius pouted. He gave a little pout before deciding to check William’s temperature again by touching his face. Julius would have checked it with the thermometer but Marx hid it from him when he saw Julius continuously checking William’s fever that remained at 100 degrees every ten minutes. </p><p>“I’ll check it every two hours,” Marx had said as he snatched the thermometer away from Julius. </p><p>“Once every hour,” Julius negotiated. “Please,” he said a little bit too desperately. “I promise to get all the paperwork that is due tomorrow done.” </p><p>Marx pursed his lips together before throwing his hands in the air. “Fine, I’ll check it once every hour,” he agreed. </p><p>That conversation happened thirty minutes ago and Julius was anxious. He lowered his head so the bottom of the bottle could rest against his chin as he used his hand to check his temperature roughly. William’s forehead and cheeks were still warm much to his disappointment. Julius sighed and grabbed the bottle again. </p><p>“And you still feel the same,” Julius murmured. “I hope your fever goes away soon. It makes me worry because you are so tiny and this world is scary.” Julius couldn’t help but look at William’s scar again, feeling a pang of sadness hit his heart. <em> And people are cruel too, </em>Julius couldn’t help but think. “I’m not perfect. I’m easily distracted, I’m busy, and I slack off but I promise you I will do my best to protect you and to raise you with love and care that you deserve. That is my promise to you as your father.” Father. That was a role Julius had no idea he would become but dang it, he was going to try his hardest to be the best father for William. </p><p>Unbeknownst to Julius, Marx heard his declaration from the other side of the door. Marx couldn’t help but smile, feeling proud of Julius. He remained on the other side of the door, giving Julius some time with William. </p><p>“Ah! Okay, okay, you are full, huh,” Julius said when he saw milk coming out of the corners of William’s mouth. He placed the bottle on the desk and cleaned the spilled milk. “You know, I was meant to shop for you today and take you with me but that can wait until you feel better. I’m not sure what else you might need but I’ll make sure to get everything I can.” Julius positioned William so he could burp him, remembering the figure from the book Marx got him and began to gently pat his back. </p><p>“I hope your fever isn’t bringing you too much pain. I would hate for it to hurt you so much… but there’s nothing I can do to reduce it,” Julius explained to him. “Owen said if it’s still persistent to take you back but I already want to do that now! I’m impatient, William.” </p><p>Marx wanted to roll his eyes at that. <em> Glad to see you’re self-aware, </em>Marx thought to himself. Marx hated to interrupt Julius with the little time he had with William, but he had to knock on the door. It was almost time for Julius to leave his office and Marx had to check to see if he’d finished signing and approving those documents he needed to submit in the morning. Marx opened the door and saw Julius patting William’s back, who he had laying on his chest. It was honestly a cute sight. </p><p>“My apologies for interrupting but do you have the papers done,” Marx asked, almost wanting to raise an eyebrow at him. It was a reflex he developed when he had a boss like Julius. </p><p>“Ah, Marx! Good to see you again,” Julius greeted. “They’re all signed and approved.”</p><p>Marx couldn’t believe the words that came out of Julius’s mouth. It almost sounded like a dream. It had to be a dream right? There was a baby here who was being taken care of by Julius. Taken aback, Marx looked at the documents on the table and picked them up. He flipped through them all and saw that they were indeed all signed and approved. He was surprised and impressed. He looked at William and wondered if the kid brought good luck. </p><p>“R-right… well, I’ll take these then,” Marx said. “You should probably head out now. It’s getting late and you have to walk back to your room with William.” </p><p>“After I’m done burping him I’ll go back,” Julius said. </p><p>“Oh, by the way, gifts from the Purple Orcas were left in your room. Or should I say your and William’s room,” Marx said. “It’s a lot of gifts.” </p><p>Julius blinked at the news. He felt his heart skip with joy and his smile grew wider at the welcoming news. “Kaiser saw William,” Julius informed Marx. “I guess he told the others about my son.” </p><p>“Indeed. Almost everyone from the squadron came to drop off their gift,” Marx said. “You don’t mind that other people know about William, right?” </p><p>“Nope! I don’t mind at all,” Julius said with a smile. “After all, I plan on taking him out with me once he gets older to see magic.” </p><p><em> Oh no, he’s already planning on playing hooky with his kid </em>, Marx thought to himself. “I see,” he managed to say. “I’m going to give you the thermometer so you can check on William’s temperature throughout the night but please, sir, don’t go overboard!” Marx practically begged as he handed back the thermometer. Knowing his boss, Marx already knew Julius wasn’t going to listen to his plea and instead check on William’s temperature until his fever went down. Who would have thought Julius would be a bit of an overboard parent. </p><p>Like a child receiving candy as a reward for being a good kid, Julius grabbed the thermometer from Marx, almost a little too happy for such a thing. “Thank you,” Julius said a little bit too cheerfully. </p><p>“If you need anything, just let me know,” Marx said.</p><p>Suddenly, a loud burp came from William, startling both Marx and Julius. They both looked at each other for a moment before they began to laugh, tears coming out of their eyes. Though Julius has heard William burp many times now, it never ceased to amuse him when he heard him burp. William made a sound as if he was asking the two men to stop making fun of him. </p><p>“I see William had a very satisfying meal,” Marx laughed. “I’m going to head out. Remember, don’t overdo it with the thermometer,” Marx warned. </p><p>“I promise I won’t,” Julius said. </p><p>“Oh, before I forget, I enrolled you in some parenting classes,” Marx said. “Your first class is tomorrow at eight am. Cob will take you there so you and William better be prepared by then.” </p><p>Julius wished Marx didn’t get him a class so early in the morning. </p><p>---------</p><p>Julius had just finished putting on William’s diaper before he tucked William to bed. William, of course, cried during the change but Julius had now gotten used to it, knowing that William was not fond of being naked. Julius had eaten his dinner in the evening while William slept on his chest which was a bit of a challenge but he got the hang of it towards the end. William hadn’t woke up until a castle maid came in (at Marx’s request) to teach Julius how to bathe William. Surprisingly enough, William didn’t cry when he was naked in the baby washtub but that was a different story when changing his diapers. The maid left when Julius wrapped William around in a towel that she provided. It was a simple white towel that had a hood on it. All Julius could say was that William looked super adorable. </p><p>Julius dried William’s tears again with the towel he used to dry him off. William whined a little as Julius put lotion on him. He was careful when he got to William’s thighs since he didn’t want to apply pressure on the areas he got his shots on. He then moved on to put lotion on William’s face. Although he knew it was in vain, Julius gently rubbed lotion onto William’s scar. It caused William to kick his legs again and Julius was careful to get out of his way. For his safety of course. </p><p>William mumbled, reaching his hand out for the lotion bottle that was next to him. Julius was quick to grab it, causing William to whine. </p><p>“No,” Julius said firmly. “This is not a toy.” </p><p>Julius set the bottle of baby lotion far away from William on the bed and grab the thermometer to check William’s temperature. He felt bad for not taking it before his bath but he got so caught up on the lesson from the maid that it slipped from his mind. Julius waited patiently for the number to appear, feeling impatient. He hoped he didn’t have a fever anymore. </p><p>The thermometer beeped and Julius took it out from William’s armpit and read the temperature. “99 degrees!?” Julius exclaimed. “William, your fever is going down!” Julius was so happy he almost wanted to jump around but then he heard William whine and kick his legs again. “Right, you don’t like being naked.” </p><p>He put the thermometer down, far from William’s grasp, and put on William’s pajamas on him, careful with the area he got his shots on. One thing Julius noticed throughout the day was that William was careful to not put his hands down. Even in his sleep, William had them up above his head. It made Julius sad to see him so cautious about his own shots and he hoped that by tomorrow, whatever pain or soreness William felt would be gone. </p><p>“There, all set for bedtime,” Julius smiled at him. “I hope you can sleep tonight. You’ve slept a lot throughout the day after getting your shots.”</p><p>He picked William up, enjoying the smell of a freshly showered baby and began to rock him in his arms as he walked over to the crib, careful not to step on any of the presents that flooded his room. If Marx hadn’t told him, Julius would have guessed they all came from the Purple Orcas anyways considering the amount of purple wrapping paper and gift bags used to hide the gifts. </p><p>He set William down on the crib when he was sure William fell asleep in his arms. Julius leaned down and pressed a kiss on his forehead, tucking him in with a blanket. He turned on the nightlight and smiled down at William. </p><p>“Would you look at that, you fell asleep after all,” Julius whispered to himself as he admired him. He took another moment to adore him before he headed off to get ready for bed himself. </p><p>Julius thinks he could get the hang of this.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Google must think I must be pregnant or have a baby lol. I promise shopping for William will be the next chapter. Thank you for reading! My Tumblr is https://the-mad-author.tumblr.com/ </p><p>꒰∗´꒳`꒱</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Gifts for William</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Julius and William get spoiled by the kingdom when the people find out the Wizard King has a son.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Apparently, at 2 months old, babies know how to grab stuff but they don't know how to let go.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was five in the morning and William asked to be fed again. Half asleep, Julius complied with William’s demand. He may be Wizard King, the military ruler of the Clover Kingdom, but his baby son was in charge here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat on his bed, the lamp illuminating the room softly as he yawned, praying that after feeding William would fall asleep again. But Julius had a feeling William wasn’t going to go back to sleep. He noticed William would wake up around five in the morning and stayed awake. Even if William did fall asleep, Julius didn’t see much of a point trying to go back to sleep since he had to wake up at six so he could be in that parenting class before eight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When William was done feeding and was burped, Julius set William down on his bed, putting pillows around him just in case William decided to roll off. “Let’s check to see if your temperature went down,” Julius said as he went to go get the thermometer by William’s crib and went to his closet to get his clothes. “Though last time I checked, It was at 99.7 degrees but that was around three in the morning.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>William stretched on the bed, slightly kicking the pillow that was beneath his legs. He made a tiny grunt after stretching his tiny limbs before resting, looking up at the ceiling. Julius, as he changed into his Wizard King clothes, mimicked the grunt William made without realizing it. William turned his head to where Julius was and smiled, kicking his legs again, causing the pillow to fall.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re quite energetic William! You even kicked the pillow from your feet,” Julius laughed as he grabbed the red robe from his closet. With cape and thermometer in hand, Julius walked over, careful not to step on the presents that he has yet to open and picked up the pillow, placing it on the bed. William hummed again, his head turning to follow Julius. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius set his robe down and the thermometer and began to undo William's pajamas. He removed William's hands from the sleeve and stuck the thermometer in his armpits. William began to whine, kicking again, forming a pouty face as if he was about to cry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just give me a moment, William. Just let it beep and I'll take it off. Maybe someone gave you some clothes," Julius said. He realized he only had two changes of clothes for William and one of them was a pajama. The other one was the one William had when he was dropped at his doorsteps about three days ago. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three days ago… Julius felt like he had William for his whole lifetime. Julius smiled down at William, but that quickly went away when William kicked his stomach. Julius groaned in pain but kept the thermometer in place since he hadn’t heard it beep yet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your kicks… are mighty,” Julius wheezed through the pain. William whined again, his hands going straight into his mouth as he began to make a face that made Julius prepare for his cries but before he knew it, Julius heard the thermometer beep. He looked at it and to his delight, William’s temperature was back to normal. He gave a little jump from his joy, dropping the thermometer on the bed so he could pick William up and give him loads of kisses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your fever is down,” Julius cheerfully exclaimed to William, pressing a kiss on his forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius guessed William could feel his excitement because his whines died down and he began to happily screamed in joy with a wide, gummy smile on his face, arms flapping and legs kicking. Julius couldn’t help but kiss his round cheeks repeatedly, causing William to let out a giggle. It was the most adorable sound Julius had ever heard and he wanted to hear it again so he repeated the same kissing action before, earning another giggle from William.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so adorable,” Julius giggled as William’s giggle was contagious. “Let’s try to look through the presents and see if anyone gifted you some clothes. You’ve been wearing the same plain white onesie for two days now and there are stains on it from all the times you spilled milk on yourself,” Julius said as he looked through the purple gift bags with his one free hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first gift Julius opened had a stuffed bear. He wondered if William was even able to play with it at his current age, so he put it back in the back and looked through another bag. In the second bag, he found some small shoes and socks. Julius may be a grown man, but he squealed at the sight of the small shoes and socks. Something about shoes and socks being this tiny just made him instinctively squeal like that. While they were tiny, Julius knew right away by staring at William’s feet that they were a little bit too big for him so he put them back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took Julius five attempts before he pulled out clothes from one of them and luckily for him, they were nice and warm clothes, perfect for the current Clover climate in February. The navy green bottoms had fleece inside, a cream cardigan with a cartoon bird patch on the left was made out of wool. It also came with a green solid pull-on cap which was perfect for covering William’s head and ears and some socks. Even greater luck befell on him; the outfit was for babies who were two months old. Julius looked into the bag one more time and spotted a plain white onesie with sleeves. He imagined it was to put under the outfit kind of like an undergarment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Julius ever found out who gave him this gift, he would give them ten stars for saving William from February’s cold temperatures. He quickly went back to his bed, set the clothes down first, and set William down on the bed so he could change his clothes. With a little struggle, Julius managed to dress William up and he couldn’t help but almost squeal at the adorable sight before him. He would no doubt abuse Marx’s magic so he could relive the moment down the road. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a knock on the door, bringing Julius back to reality. He was about to pick William up when the door opened to reveal Marx. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could have sworn that door was locked,” Julius said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have the master key,” Marx said as he walked in. He stopped once he was in front of Julius, giving a small smile towards William who kicked his legs slightly. Marx found his outfit cute. Somehow the outfit matched William in his opinion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right. I forgot master keys are a thing,” Julius said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you and William ready to leave,” Marx asked. “Cob is waiting for you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“William and I are ready,” Julius smiled. He reached for his red Wizard King robe and put it on, completing his Wizard King outfit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just going to leave without packing some things like diapers and formula for William,” Marx asked when Julius picked up William. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do I have to?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. You have to, sir,” Marx said. “I’m sure someone gave you a diaper bag for you to pack up some essentials for William,” Marx said as he looked around the room for the medium-sized gifts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>William suddenly grabbed onto the gold chain that hanged on Julius’s white fur. Julius felt the chain being pulled and gasped when he was suddenly brought down by the force of William’s pull. At first, Julius tried to gently pull the chain away from William’s grasp but he found William holding it with a tight grip, much to his surprise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“William, please let go,” Julius begged him. While William was a cutie when he was fixated on something, the chain was the last thing Julius wanted William to play with. Julius tried to gently pry it from his tiny hands but his grip was impressive. He had no idea babies could be this strong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marx found the diaper bag after opening many presents. By the touch, he could tell it was expensive, no doubt a noble gifted this to Julius. That and a card was in the bag with the noble's emblem on it. Marx turned around and saw Julius almost wrestling William to loosen his grip on his chain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sir," Marx called out, bringing Julius's attention to his, a drop of sweat forming on his forehead. "I found a diaper bag," he said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ahh, thank you," Julius said as he composed himself though William still had a tight grip on the chain. William gave a tiny hum as he flapped the arm that held the chain, seeing how it gleamed in the light. It just caused William to be more fixated on the chain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll pack the necessities for you," Marx said. Julius saw him grab something from a gift bag before he walked over to him. Marx looked at William (who was held at the same height as him so he can't look down at him). He brought up an object Julius recognized from the many cards he got congratulating him for his new son. Marx shook the rattle, which startled William at first but when Marx shook the rattle again, William let go of the chain and reached for the rattle. Marx handed the rattle, giving it one more shake before William took it and began to shake it more. William began kicking his legs, mouth opening wide into a smile. Nothing came out at first but then William let out a joyful scream as he continued to shake the rattle. His actions brought a smile on Marx's and Julius's face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You are very good at this," Julius complimented. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have two younger siblings after all, so I went through the process before," Marx informed. "I might as well put babysitting on my list of experiences since I have to babysit you. Now, get going. You're going to be late for your class!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>----------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius was thankful that Marx signed him up for these parenting classes. He realized William wouldn’t have survived the week with him. The class was actually a public class that other people signed up to go, not a private one like Julius had first initially thought so when he walked in with William in his arms, everyone became quiet, jaws dropping to the floor at the sight of him. Julius wasn’t sure if the parents and instructor were shocked that he was there or the fact that he had a son or a combination of both, but it did cause a bit of commotion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Most of the ‘students’ were commoners with a handful of peasants and two lower-ranked nobles. The instructor, Mrs. Magdalene, was also a commoner and almost fainted at the sight of the Wizard King. Apparently no one told the instructor that the Wizard King was going to take parenting classes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sitting in the class with William was a bit awkward. Julius decided to sit in the back of the class so he wouldn’t steal the attention from the instructor but everyone stole glances at him and at William as much as they could. He knew they weren’t able to tell William’s scar due to the fact he was his pull-on cap and the blanket that kind of covered his face from the side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>William, to Julius’s surprise, slept through the class. It was as if a magic spell was placed on him as soon as they walked through the door. The other babies present in the class sometimes cried or made noises but William slept through the noises like a champ. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes Julius stole glances from William throughout the class. He would write notes down while he held William in his arms, his eyes wandering to William’s sleepy face. A smile would appear on his face when he saw William’s tiny hands in his mouth or doing some weird hand sign. Of course, Julius would snap out of it and focus back on the classroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With his first parenting class over with, Julius and William were transported back to the castle. William woke up too and Julius didn’t know if it was because they were out of the classroom or if William detected Cob’s spatial magic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you feel Cob’s magic, William,” Julius asked with a smile on his face as William stretched in his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oops, sorry for waking up your son, Wizard King,” Cob apologized. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No worries. I’m sure William just realized we’re back home,” Julius said without tearing his eyes off of William. He gently poked William’s cheeks, causing him to smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It warmed Cob’s heart seeing Julius like this but he also realized it was a private moment and he needed to be somewhere in a bit. “I’ll take my leave, Wizard King. Excuse me, sir,” Cob said with a little bow before he headed off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius thought he was done for the day or at least that Marx wouldn’t bother him and that he could go off and play with William but he heard footsteps coming from the other direction. Lo and behold, the blue-haired man was coming his way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wizard King,” Marx called out to him. “I think you should open the gifts in your room,” he said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius thought Marx’s request was odd, especially when he noticed the worried look in his eyes. “Why do I have the feeling there’s something wrong,” Julius asked himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing wrong, sir. At least, it’s not something you can label as a grave danger,” Marx began to say. “It’s more… trivial. Oh- just go to your room! It’s flooded with presents from the other squadrons and more keep coming in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” was all Julius could say. He was surprised how word got out fast considering Kaiser was the only person to see William yesterday. No doubt by the time evening came, the whole kingdom would find out that Julius had a son. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marx led Julius to his room. The head castle maid, Maven, was there directing the Castle Knights. One of the Knights who was carrying a big gift saw Julius. With a smile on his face, he spoke to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Congratulations on your new son, Wizard King," he exclaimed. As soon as he said that, there was a chorus of congratulations that filled the hallways. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, Julius couldn’t help but smile, his smile brightening when he heard William hum. “Thank you, everyone,” he replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marx, we might need to find a new room to put the rest of the gifts,” Maven informed him from where she stood. Her brown eyes looked at each gift that came through Julius’s room, eyes widening at bigger gifts that required two people to carry them in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll search for another room,” Marx said. “Sir, for now, go get lunch since this is your lunch period. I’m pretty sure I made you pack some formula for William in the bag. I’ll call you when we have the other room for the presents so please, don’t block the incoming call.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No worries, Marx,” Julius said. “I’m off!” He shifted William in his arm slightly before walking away to the dining hall. William grabbed his chain again so Julius had to lower his head a bit as he played with it. It wasn’t until William attempted to put it in his mouth that Julius pried it off of his hands. It took him a bit of strength to do so, but Julius was able to do it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius has had William for three days, but he’s gotten creative on where to set William down when he ate. Usually, when Julius went down to the dining hall to eat, he would take two blankets with him. One of the blankets was to cover up William since the book said it was important to keep the baby warm. The other blanket was used as a pillow that he could easily morph into William’s figure, his head gently resting on the lump made from the blanket to cushion it as he laid on the table. Granted, Julius had to place William a little bit farther away from where he ate. Otherwise, William would have kicked his plate or placed his foot in his food. The first time he did it, it was comical and he had Marx review his memories so he could show him what William did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment Julius walked into the grand dining room, a maid named Selene came to set his plate down on the table. He thanked her and began his set up for William when he felt a tap on his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wizard King? I think this may help,” said Selene. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Julius turned around, he saw her holding a pillow that reminded him of a donut. The only thing was that the pillow had a small opening on the bottom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I call it a baby lounger, but the proper name for it is a nursing pillow, I believe,” she said. “I used something like this when my baby was born. I placed her in there so she could lay down safely while I ate. It’s similar to what you’re doing with the blanket,” she explained. “C-could I, sir?” She motioned toward William. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something in Julius changed. He felt very protective of William and he wanted to say no. While the staff knew of William, he hadn’t let them see his face clearly. He always had William’s face covered from their view. He did this also at the class and luckily, no one came up to ask to see William. It wasn’t that Julius was ashamed of William’s scar. He was afraid of what they would say and if they'd call him a cursed child. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, he knew Selene was just trying to help his pathetic self, so he handed William over to her. Selene quickly set the pillow on the table and opened her arms for William. A smile appeared on Selene’s face when she got to hold him. She rocked her arms as William began to talk and move about. Julius guessed he was excited to meet someone new. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! Look at those eyelashes,” Selene exclaimed. “My poor daughter wasn’t blessed with eyelashes like he was. Oh! Look at him go! He’s so happy!” Selene’s smile grew wider and wider the more William vocalized and moved about. She couldn’t help but giggle. Happiness was contagious after all. “What’s that, young master? The Wizard King already has plans to play hooky with you,” she teased. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were a couple of times Julius got embarrassed. What Selene said was definitely a moment to add to his list. He couldn’t help but sheepishly chuckle and rub the back of his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Selene accommodated the position of the pillow where Julius usually put William all while talking to him since he was so responsive. She was careful to set William down on the pillow, putting the blanket over him once he was accommodated safely on the pillow. “There you go, young master! My, you are so adorable I could just pinch your cheeks,” Selene exclaimed to William. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>William matched her energy. He began to kick and flap his arms around again, letting out a scream of joy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right, young master! Your father is about to eat so you be on your best behavior,” Selene said. She turned to Julius, her smile still wide from interacting with William. “Talking to babies is important. That’s how they learn to mimic sounds and how to talk. I’ll leave you with your dinner now, sir. Please keep the pillow,” she said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure?” Julius asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! It’s a gift from me and my hometown,” she smiled. “We all pitched in to buy something for the young master as a welcome gift.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius had some hope for the future. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>---------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius knew it. By the time mid-afternoon came, all the brigades and the towns surrounding the capital had sent gifts. Two whole master bedrooms were filled with presents up to the brim. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marx, with the help of Maven, gathered up some castle maids and Castle Knights to help organize and open the gifts. First room: The Wizard King’s room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No doubt you will receive the same gift twice, maybe thrice if we’re lucky,” Marx began to say to Julius. William had just gotten changed out of his soiled diaper and was done whining now that he was clothed. Also because Marx gave him a toy to play with. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want to do with the extra gifts if you are given multiple of the same kind,” Marx asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmmm… what about donating them to parents who need them and orphanages,” Julius suggested. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate this stuff if given them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marx nodded his head as he made a quick note. “Alright, it’s time to open up the stuff in this room and work from there.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius admitted, he felt like a child on Christmas day even though all these gifts were for William or to help raise William. Julius looked for the biggest gift in the room and began to open it. He kept opening and opening the big gifts first until he had no more to open. The maids would gather up the ripped paper, tissue paper, and gift bags to throw them away while the Castle Knights put the big gifts such as cribs and seats in a different room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The majority of the big gifts were from the nobles. Cards were attached to them but Julius threw them aside. He only read who gifted him what just in case they tried to talk to him about it the next time he saw those noble families. He moved on to the medium-sized gifts. Some of them were wrapped up in wrapping paper, others were in large gift bags. Items such as grooming kits, convertible baby carriers, learning gyms, playmats, bouncers, baby wraps, and door swings were gifted, to name a few.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By now, Julius had gone through three-quarters of the gifts that were in his room. Marx kept a record of all the things gifted to Julius, putting tally marks on items gifted multiple times. William had taken naps, ate, had his diaper changed, and even played with one of the maids in the room who couldn’t help herself but play with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius never thought opening this many gifts would be exhausting but by the time dinner came, he was already tired and wanted to stop opening the gifts. Luckily for him, all he needed were the small gifts in his room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Almost one room down. Three more to go,” Marx said as he stacked the papers of the list of gifts on the nightstand next to Julius’s bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Three!?” Julius exclaimed as he fed William. He was sitting on the bed, back a little sore from bending down to pick up the presents. William was starting to get fussy, so Julius knew he was hungry (other than the fact it was his schedule feeding time). </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Three more rooms,” Marx confirmed. “Let’s finish up here and we can do another room tomorrow. I pushed back some paperwork anyway so we can get this done.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After Julius was done feeding and burping William, he finished opening up the remaining presents in his room, leaving it spotless with a few toys and clothes laid on Julius’s bed. “That’s the last of the gifts,” Julius sighed as he set the bottle set on the bed. A maid picked up the gift bag and tissue paper and left the room to throw it in the trash bag that was outside. One of many. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, I have a question for you. Will you keep William in here or would you like a nursery room for him,” Marx asked. “We could make it either next to or across from your room.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Wizard King’s room was enormous. If Julius had to compare, it was probably the size of most peasant’s home. Though it was huge, there weren’t many furnishings, to begin with. Julius only appeared in his room to crash in it, so he never got to add his little touches to make it comfy and homey. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now that he had William and based on his first parenting class, babies demanded a lot. He was pretty sure he knew that too deep down inside of him. If Julius put William in his room, it would surely be taken over by all the stuff he needed to raise William. Which is not a bad deal, he thought, considering just how empty his room was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I want to keep him in here with me,” Julius answered. “Once he’s older, then he could get his own room across from mine. But until that day comes, I want him in here with me!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You say that as if babies didn’t grow up quickly,” Maven commented with a slight smile on her face. “Your boy will grow up before you know it, so cherish him while he’s this small.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>All the more reason to keep him here with me, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Julius thought to himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well,” Marx said. “Besides the crib, you probably need another dresser to put all of William’s clothing and necessities,” Marx thought out loud as he looked around the room. He had a curled finger tapping lightly on his chin. “Do you think the other nobles would give you a dresser?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t put it past them,” Julius laughed. “Well, now that we’re done here everyone can go home now. Thank you very much for helping me and my son,” Julius smiled at the staff. “You are all dismissed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One by one, the maids and Castle Knights left Julius’s room, leaving him, William, and Marx. William began to hum, throwing the toy he was playing across the bed and stretching out his arms while looking at Julius. When Julius saw him, a smile formed across his face. He went over to the bed and picked William up. Julius pressed a kiss on both of William’s cheeks, causing him to smile, hand going quickly to his mouth as he kicked his legs again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And here we have one happy baby,” Julius smiled down at William. “Look at him, Marx! Isn’t he precious?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marx couldn’t help but smile at the kid who looked like he was a blushing mess. “Very much adorable,” Marx agreed. “I realized a bit earlier that he is almost three months old since he was born on the 24th.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? What day is it today,” Julius asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The 21st,” Marx answered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Three months old,” Julius murmured as he looked down at William. He was happily playing with his chain again. “William has already lived a rough two months… from here on out, I’ll make sure to raise him to be the happiest person in the world. No more will William have to suffer. He will experience what the three leaves of clover represent: faith, hope, and love.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marx was impressed Julius had the energy to make a declaration. What’s more, he was impressed he somehow corporated their beliefs to his speech. Nevertheless, Marx couldn’t help but smile, thankful that the kid had a second chance at life and that Julius was going to get his act together to raise William. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s what he hoped but he knew Julius was going to prove him wrong somehow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius decided he was going to play hooky with William. Three days later after word got out that he had a son and all the presents came flooding in, Julius finished opening up every single present delivered to him. The most notable presents were of course, from the three royal families. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The House of Kira gave him an expensive crib made from the finest of wood with the finest of mattresses and bedding. The House of Silva gave him a rocking chair which was also made from the finest of wood and cushion and a high chair for William. The House of Vermillion gave him a lion riding toy that Julius knew William would use once he was four, a swing, and a wardrobe of clothes at different ages. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only thing Julius needed to buy was more formula, diapers, and wipes for William. He had no idea babies could go through diapers so quickly. So when Julius had his lunch break, he decided to take him and William to his room to get the baby carrier wrap so he could go and play hooky with him. Julius read the instructions as he put the carrier on and set William down in his. He wrapped a thick blanket around William to protect him from the cold weather and transformed into a different man before he teleported to the market in Kikka. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a bit chilly today, William. I hope you’re warm and cozy in there,” Julius said. He lifted the blanket a bit so he could peek inside and found William fast asleep against his chest. Julius’s heart swelled with so much adoration he literally giggled out loud. “Let’s go shopping for some items to raise you,” Julius declared to his sleeping son. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were a couple of stores that specialized in baby items on the main streets of Kikka. Julius walked down the street until he spotted the first baby store. He waltzed in, feeling the warmth of the shop hit his cheeks after being out in the cold for a moment. Julius hoped William wasn’t cold either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! Good afternoon, sir,” the middle-aged shopkeeper greeted from where he was stocking up his shelves. Of course, the shopkeeper didn’t know that it was Julius in disguise. “Are you lookin’ for anything?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just some diapers, wipes, and formula,” Julius smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shopkeeper set the baby clothes he had in his hand up on the shelf so he could look for the items Julius was looking for. “How old is your baby,” he asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He turned three months old today,” Julius exclaimed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My, he’s growing up fast,” the shopkeeper exclaimed. “Before you know it, he’ll start walking and babbling nonsense,” he laughed as he grabbed the diapers off another shelf. The shopkeeper went to grab the remaining items Julius had asked for and placed them on the counter where his cash register was. “Anything else, sir?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I take a moment to look around? I’m still new to the father role,” Julius sheepishly laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Fatherhood is one crazy ride, but it’s also rewarding,” he smiled. “Ah, I remember when my children were babies. What I would give to go back in time for a moment to hold them and pinch their chubby cheeks again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know how you feel. I always want to pinch my son’s cheeks as well,” Julius said as he began to walk around the store. He looked at the items the shopkeeper had. He had more clothes, shoes, and socks on sale than he did for other items. Though, even then, the shelves of his store looked pretty empty. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry there’s not much. The Wizard King apparently had a son and everyone scrambled to buy gifts for the baby,” the shopkeeper said. “Not sure why. It’s not like he asked but I guess everyone wanted to welcome the Wizard King’s son.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius felt a bit embarrassed but he had to act cool in front of the shopkeeper since he was wearing a disguise. “No doubt he’ll get duplicates,” Julius said. “Maybe he’ll donate some of the extra stuff he got to those in need…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think so? He’s a new guy so I can’t tell much right now,” the shopkeeper said. “But it would be nice to think about. Having a Wizard King that nice…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmhmm,” Julius agreed to his statement, already making plans in his head to get Marx and the Magic Knights to donate the extra stuff he received to those who need it. He hoped no one would feel bad if they saw their gift in that pile, but he can’t possibly keep everything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius turned to look at a rack when he saw a rack full of cream sweaters with sheep on it. The sheep were a bit three-dimensional since their white wool had cotton popping out. There were buttons on its left side - probably decoration. Julius’s eyes sparkled when he saw this sweater. He knew right away that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to buy it for William. He looked through the rack and saw there were two sizes of every age up to two years old. He grabbed the two-month size sweater but realized that William had turned three months. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But the two-month clothes still fit him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Julius thought to himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just to be safe, I’ll grab the two-month sweater and the three-month sweater. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, William was given a lot of clothes and there’s a chance Julius wasn’t going to be able to let William wear all of them, but that didn’t stop Julius from indulging his son in some clothes he found adorable. Living by the phrase, “can’t stop, won’t stop,” Julius took one sheep sweater of every size available in his arms so he could buy for William. Thinking that was enough, he turned around and went to the counter with the sweaters so he could purchase them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shopkeeper was stunned. He looked down at the pile of sheep sweaters and up at Julius. “First kid, you say,” he asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Julius said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The shopkeeper nodded, giving a small chuckle as he began to ring up the stuff he was going to buy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>--------</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Bonus:</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, where were you!?” Marx asked once he found Julius in the castle. The blue-haired man was agitated that Julius blocked his communication spell but when he saw the amount of bags he was carrying along with William in the baby wrap carrier, he knew right away where he had gone. “You played hooky with your son?” He dared ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julius sheepishly laughed. “I have to train him,” he said. “He fell asleep though…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marx tapped his foot as the anger came through him like a tsunami. “You had a meeting with your captains an hour ago. I had to send them back to their bases,” Marx huffed out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… was that today?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wizard King!” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>That took a little long to update lol. I have no idea what the next chapter will be about but William will start aging up a bit the next time we see him.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is for the William discord group who really wanted to see this happen. I hope you guys like it! There's still more adventures of baby William and Julius. </p><p>꒰∗´꒳`꒱</p></blockquote></div></div>
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